I believe California has an interesting and important future before her
and without some mishaps she must be prosperous. How _____________________
is of commanding imporance. Her climate is excellent and all that could
be expected from her situation. Her soil except for the mountains is capable
of
cultivation. Her timber is exhaustless. And her gold mines the wonder of
the world. So far this gold has been obtained chiefly from ravines and
rivers. But where does it come from? Every theory supposes it comes
from the mountains, and so far as there is proof the doctrine is confirmed.
But the mountains have hardly been examined except in a few places.
I hink every year will see improvements in her population. The
sober, thinking, and industrious will occupy the place of the idle
the country asserted that there was not one "temperance"
man in
it.
Of course he was mistaken; tho' the _________ were no doubt in a
large majority. _____ temperance _______________________________
______ are settling permanently and school and churches will be
established.
  Will it seem to you any way singular that there are no Magpies in
the States east of the Rocky Mountians? And yet they are found in California;
on the Plains. ______ my suprise and joy on beholding a maggy
soon after my arrival; as the last I had seen was when in England. _________
also common here, but in the States I never saw one. In some other
particulars I have been strongly reminded of my fathers land.
Dec 17th  Since I wrote the above I ahve moved into my own winter quarters
a snug log house, bought our winter' provisions and for California
are quite comfortable. I notice several are going to try to winter in tents
a very
unwise and unsafe  plan. I shall try to preserve my health which is now
very good. I have entirely got over my sickness. When I began this letter
the
weather was quite dry adn pleasant and continued so for some time. Much
longer than I expectd as the rainy season last year began about the middle
of Oct-
ober tho' more frequently it commences in November. Hitherto on the whole
the weather has been pleasant. We have had a few days of rain and two or
three of rain
snow. At other times both in the house and out it is comfortable to go without
a coat. I have felt no cold yet equal to what at this season prevails in
Wisconsin,
tho I am well up towards everlasting snow. At this time the mountains
near here are covered but the valleys are free from it. I will give you an
extract or two from my memorandum book Dec 2 "Snow fell plentifully
and beautifully all the forenoon. Afternoon clear and pleasant. _________
________________." "Dec 3. I am frosty and pleasant."
And
so it continued
till last Thursday night when we had a little snow. Friday slight showers
Saturday rain all the forenoon, since cloudy and dull but little rain. This
day at
noon the thermometer was just 40 (in the shade of course.)
I will not give you a shor sketch of my journeyings in this land. On the
first of _____ 1850 I left the bay of Panama Central America, in the steam
ship Panama.
On the ___ of the month at noon landed at San Franscisco. While on the Pacific
Ocean
between those two places, we were in sight of land most of the way, frequently
close on shore,
and called at three ports on the Mexican coast and two on that of california,
all this
was very pleasant and more like a pleasure __________ than a sea voyage.
I remained two
weeks in San Fransisco. I am quite partial to the place, the ground is hilly,
but
the situation on the bay and views are delightful, the bay here is about
six miles across
while it _______ inland till it is lost to the vision. I came up the Sacramento
River
in a large steam boat crowded with passengers and luggage to Sacramento City.
We came
up in the night so that I lost most of the river scenery. The day after I
left for the
mines, on foot having deposited my trunk ___ with a ______ from Wisconsin.
The road led
across the great plain, my face being directly towards the snowy mountains,
"high
white, and shinning." After twenty miles the ground begins to be
hilly
and broken and con-
tinues so with considerable increase till the summit of Sierra Nevada is
reached.